Saturday, March 23, 2013

I know we're heading into Fairy Tale Fortnight (tomorrow!), but we sure are having a lot of non-fairy tales giveaways to lead up to it... A little something to tide over you foolishnon-fairy tale lovers out there. ;P

Ahem. As I was saying, Alexa's sequel to First Impressions is now out, and Alexa is here to tell us a little bit about it, share an excerpt, and then toss a precious copy in the air and watch as you scrabble over it give a copy to one of you!

Take it away, Alexa!

I adore the smell of books. It’s part of a sensory experience that can never be replicated by any ereader. Paper, born of living flesh, seared with ink and the soul of the writer: a book bears the mark of every hand who has touched it, giving each a scent uniquely its own. Only my husband and I have handled my copy of the first book I wrote, First Impressions: A Tale of Less Pride and Prejudice. Three years on it has a smell like a mossy creek bank in summer. My new book, Second Glances: A Tale of Less Pride and Prejudice Continues, still smells primarily of glue, but behind it I detect lightly scented wildflowers, just on the verge of bloom. Then again, maybe it’s just the fumes ...

I feel some distress at the discovery that the paper used for Second Glances is thinner than it’s predecessor, but I’m trying to not to harm my second child through unfair comparison to the first. They are, after all, entirely different creatures. First Impressions took Jane Austen’s story and turned it on its head, entirely changing the fate of her characters. Second Glances, in contrast, largely follows Austen’s original plot. It might more properly have been subtitled A Tale of Less Pride and Prejudice Continues with a Great Deal of Pride and Prejudice, but my cover designer wouldn’t hear of it:

It was clear he would need to employ more unusual means than a mere declaration to convince Miss Bennet of his honorable intentions. Though they were an outrage to reason, he did not begrudge her her doubts. In fact, after being long accustomed to almost every young lady he met taking any friendly overture as a precursor to a proposal, Miss Bennet’s reluctance was a refreshing change. He fancied she did not, in truth, think so very ill of him as she professed. To quote the bard, “The lady doth protest too much,” but whatever her deeper feelings might be, he was determined to change her expressed opinion, and as he said to Mr. Brooks later that evening, “When she does look upon me with affection, I am sure to be certain it is sincere, and not just the maneuverings of a fortune huntress.”“Indeed, she does not seem to be one concerned with wealth at all. She made no attempt to conceal the very small nature of her dowry, and when I brought up Teggington, she pressed me not a bit for those details which would determine its size and status.”“But she did inquire into my antics as a child?” Mr. Brooks looked confused. “Not at all! I shared with her a few stories, but only those that showed you in the best light.”“Like my digging a trap for you to fall into?”“I spoke of how you came to my rescue when I had broken my leg!”“Which she interpreted as an example of lifelong foolishness.”Mr. Brooks said consciously, “I did not mean it in such a manner. I am sorry, James.”“I know you did not, Simon. You always mean well. Nevertheless, I am now confronted with something of a predicament. How am I to convince her I am in all seriousness, when she will not believe her own senses? Perhaps I will speak to Darcy, for he may know the way to win her. After all, he succeeded with her sister, did he not?”“Yes, but he is Darcy, after all. Can you imagine the lady who would reject him?”Sir James laughed. “I don't know; if he had made a muddle of a first impression upon his wife, as I have on Miss Bennet, then perhaps his gentlemanly status would have undergone similar attack.”

My greatest hope for my books is that they bring an irresistible urge to smile to their readers. “Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery!” Mine likes to dabble in the delightful. May those who pick up Second Glances discover in its pages the aroma of good humor and great company. Huge thanks to Misty for allowing me to introduce my story today. Like every mother, there are few things I enjoy more than sharing tales of my children’s triumphs.

My favourite Austen couple has always been Henry Tilney and Catherine. The are such opposites you just know that they will go well together. And who doesn't love every new Austen imagining. I can't wait to read it.

Thanks to all who expressed an interest in my book. ! I loved reading about everyone's favorite Austen couplings, but I can't decide which is mine. It's a toss up between Henry and Catherine, Elizabeth and Darcy, Emma and Knightley, or Anne and Wentworth. Thanks again, Misty. This was a lot of fun!

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About Me

Misty has been blogging at The Book Rat for over a decade, which is particularly ancient in blog years.
She has an overwhelming passion for Jane Austen, fairy tales, and stories of fierce, unstoppable women.
And cats.
As of 2019, review copies are being accepted on an EXTREMELY limited basis.